Signs of Autocracy in Once Vibrant Democracy of Mongolia
Mongolia, once a vibrant and thriving democracy, takes a turn that resembles its communist past. On April 13th, 2012, Mr. N Enkhbayar was illegally detained in a dawn raid by more than 600 SWAT and policemen. The arrest was shown on live TV and many were shocked by the brutal force demonstrated by the police.
The incumbent President, Elbegdorj, an ex Wal-Mart employee in Denver, CO, had personally appointed the heads of the IAAC (Independent Authority Against Corruption), Supreme Court judges and the General Prosecutor. The IAAC is the body that arrested Enkhbayar, however their name highlights the irony of their actions. B.Khurts, current Deputy Head of IAAC, is a criminal who was sued by the German government for illegally transporting and torturing a Mongolian citizen from Germany. Coincidentally, before Angel Merkel’s visit to Mongolia this year, all charges against Khurts were dropped and Mr. Elbegdorj appointed him to his current position. From a prison cell to a high-ranking official – not a bad turn for Mr. Khurts. The other individual, Amarbat, heading the IAAC, had charges of rape and was personally appointed by the “democratic” president that is Mr. Elbegdorj.
All the judges were replaced in 2010, a year after Mr. Elbegdorj uptook the office. The current General Prosecutor, D.Dorligjav, who is reviewing Mr. Enkhbayar’s case with the mentioned courts, is a member of DP (Democratic Party) whose Chairman was Elbegdorj for over a decade in the past.
As much as an ordinary Mongolian wishes to believe that this case is indeed a ‘fight against corruption’, the bodies executing this ‘justice’ do not seem to fit the role prescribed to them.
The current atmosphere in Mongolia is tense with pre-elections anxiety. Independent polls suggested that the Mr. Enkhbayar was among the most popular politicians before his unfortunate detainment. N.Enkhbayar had been involved in politics over 2 decades, and occupied the post of Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament and President in the period between 2000 and 2009. The DP and the MPP, the two major political parties have a noteworthy competitor for the first time since Mongolia became a democracy, a party called MPRP headed by Mr. Enkhbayar.
Currently Enkhbayar is recovering from a two-week hunger strike. For the past few days, they have been circulating a video of him having an angry outbreak against the court officials. They replay this video without explaining what triggered the outbreak and only condemning Enkhbayar for losing self-control. Later, doctors stated that the court officials tried to issue an order to force feed the man, to which he furiously objected. Besides this, there are numerous other statements arising from dubious witnesses about the invalidity of Enkhbayar’s claims. Could it be that the media is under the control of the increasingly autocratic government as well?
International media on the other hand, had managed to shed light into this disturbing story. Respectable stations such as the FT, the Economist and the Wall Street Journal have regarded his case with some skepticism. Compared to billions circulating in the mining sector which many politicians allegedly pocketed, the charges of owning a motel and free-riding a plane ticket seem minor to say the least. The issue of Enkhbayar mirrors a dark turn of Mongolian politics and has been discussed in the US Senate and the Australian Congress. International watches, including Amnesty International and UN, have confirmed that the basic human rights of this individual were severely violated.
What is next for this Mongolia? Enkhbayar in a recent interview with the NYT said: ‘The mining is behind all of this, gold and copper have made people crazy’. Maybe, maybe not, however this arrest sure creates an obstacle in Mongolia’s road to democracy.
The incumbent President, Elbegdorj, an ex Wal-Mart employee in Denver, CO, had personally appointed the heads of the IAAC (Independent Authority Against Corruption), Supreme Court judges and the General Prosecutor. The IAAC is the body that arrested Enkhbayar, however their name highlights the irony of their actions. B.Khurts, current Deputy Head of IAAC, is a criminal who was sued by the German government for illegally transporting and torturing a Mongolian citizen from Germany. Coincidentally, before Angel Merkel’s visit to Mongolia this year, all charges against Khurts were dropped and Mr. Elbegdorj appointed him to his current position. From a prison cell to a high-ranking official – not a bad turn for Mr. Khurts. The other individual, Amarbat, heading the IAAC, had charges of rape and was personally appointed by the “democratic” president that is Mr. Elbegdorj.
All the judges were replaced in 2010, a year after Mr. Elbegdorj uptook the office. The current General Prosecutor, D.Dorligjav, who is reviewing Mr. Enkhbayar’s case with the mentioned courts, is a member of DP (Democratic Party) whose Chairman was Elbegdorj for over a decade in the past.
As much as an ordinary Mongolian wishes to believe that this case is indeed a ‘fight against corruption’, the bodies executing this ‘justice’ do not seem to fit the role prescribed to them.
The current atmosphere in Mongolia is tense with pre-elections anxiety. Independent polls suggested that the Mr. Enkhbayar was among the most popular politicians before his unfortunate detainment. N.Enkhbayar had been involved in politics over 2 decades, and occupied the post of Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament and President in the period between 2000 and 2009. The DP and the MPP, the two major political parties have a noteworthy competitor for the first time since Mongolia became a democracy, a party called MPRP headed by Mr. Enkhbayar.
Currently Enkhbayar is recovering from a two-week hunger strike. For the past few days, they have been circulating a video of him having an angry outbreak against the court officials. They replay this video without explaining what triggered the outbreak and only condemning Enkhbayar for losing self-control. Later, doctors stated that the court officials tried to issue an order to force feed the man, to which he furiously objected. Besides this, there are numerous other statements arising from dubious witnesses about the invalidity of Enkhbayar’s claims. Could it be that the media is under the control of the increasingly autocratic government as well?
International media on the other hand, had managed to shed light into this disturbing story. Respectable stations such as the FT, the Economist and the Wall Street Journal have regarded his case with some skepticism. Compared to billions circulating in the mining sector which many politicians allegedly pocketed, the charges of owning a motel and free-riding a plane ticket seem minor to say the least. The issue of Enkhbayar mirrors a dark turn of Mongolian politics and has been discussed in the US Senate and the Australian Congress. International watches, including Amnesty International and UN, have confirmed that the basic human rights of this individual were severely violated.
What is next for this Mongolia? Enkhbayar in a recent interview with the NYT said: ‘The mining is behind all of this, gold and copper have made people crazy’. Maybe, maybe not, however this arrest sure creates an obstacle in Mongolia’s road to democracy.
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